Security forces have shot dead a Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militant in Meghalaya’s South West Garo Hills district in an encounter, the police said today.

Security forces have shot dead a Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militant in Meghalaya’s South West Garo Hills district in an encounter, the police said on Sunday.

The slain militant identified as L Sangma was shot dead in an encounter at Salmanpara village with the security forces yesterday, they said

A second militant surrendered before them.

The incident took place after police nabbed a militant sympathiser S Sangma when he had come to West Garo Hills district headquarter, Tura, to buy a cell phone for the senior militants at Salmanpara.

Having Sangma in their custody, the Meghalaya’s Swift Weapons and Tactics commandos left for Salmanpara where the other militants were hiding in the sympathiser’s house, police said.

According to the police, when they approached the house, the militants opened fire forcing the commandos to retaliate killing one of them. Another militant came forward to surrender and the third one escaped unhurt.

An AK 47 rifle, about 40 rounds of ammunition, 5 detonators and important documents were recovered from the encounter site, police said.

Meanwhile, the police confiscated Rs 4.5 lakh from the GNLA militants after they extorted the money from several hardware shops in East Garo Hills district headquarter, Williamnagar.

Acting on a tip-off, police laid a trap at the store in which the militants were supposed to collect the extorted money, they said.

Two junior rank militants -- Elizer Marak and Tangsengbirth Ch Momin – were arrested and upon interrogation, they said the amount collected from the shops were to be handed over to their new area commander Jimmy Ch Momin.

The GNLA, whose chairman is under judicial custody after his arrest in July this year, is an outlawed organization involved in killing, extortion and kidnapping of businessmen and government officials for ransom.

The GNLA is active in all the five Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya and pockets of West and South West Khasi Hills districts.